Continued Professional Development (CPD) and the IMJ
The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) provides an opportunity for members to obtain ‘external’ CPD points based on interpretive skills and the appraisal of current original medical papers. This CPD Programme is freely available to all doctors. To find out more about joining the IMO and the benefits of becoming a member click here.
In each issue of the IMJ the Editorial team highlight a series of medical papers with relevant, important and current information relevant across all different medical disciplines. The Journal poses questions relating to the carefully selected papers. The questions test the readers on their understanding, attention to detail, and also stimulate reflection on the topics covered.
Three medical papers in each issue of the Journal are identified by the Editorial staff. These papers are recently accepted by the IMJ and therefore contain the most up-to-date information as IMJ policy is to publish articles within 3-6 months of acceptance.
Five questions are generated per article. The format of the questions is either a) True or False, or b) multiple choice style with four options including the correct one. The reader would go to the IMJ website, read the article, be connected to a link to answer the questions and get feedback to encourage reflection on their progress in the programme.
The IMJ Editorial staff structure the series of questions so that the participant spends approximately one hour on the process leading to one CPD point per paper. If their answer is incorrect, they are encouraged to try again.
Certificates are automatically generated for IMJ CPD questions, and then they must be submitted by the doctor to the training body responsible for administering your Competence Assurance Scheme.
The Professional Competence year runs from 1st May to 30th April, and any claims must be for CPD questions in IMJ issues published within that period.
Operation of the IMJ CPD Programme
The IMO is the largest medical organization in Ireland representing the medical profession at hospital and national level on professional, contractual and health policy issues. We are dedicated to providing doctors with tools for continual learning to help with individual practice of medicine.
The IMJ is one of the leading biomedical journals in Ireland which seeks to continue the education of medical students and postgraduates through scientific research, review articles and updates on contemporary clinical practices while providing an ongoing forum for medical debate.
The CPD Programme allows the reader to enter the IMJ website and click on the relevant paper. At the end of the article there is a link which the reader follows to the relevant CPD questions.
These questions are relevant to all the medical disciplines in order to provide a broad base for the provision of relevant, informative and immersive learning. At the IMJ articles are received on all medical topics. The IMJ assigns CPD questions to articles relating to Medicine, Paediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Psychiatry, Orthopaedic Surgery, Radiology, Neurology, Pharmacy, General Practice, Medical Training, Cardiology, Public Health, Respiratory Medicine, General Surgery, etc.
